From defiled lips,
from an abominable heart,
from an unclean tongue,
from a polluted soul,
receive my prayer, O my Christ.
Reject me not,
nor my words, nor my ways,
nor even my shamelessness,
but grant me boldness to say what I desire,
O my Christ.
And rather, do thou teach me
what is fitting for me to do and to say.
I have sinned more than the harlot
who, learning where thou wast lodging,
bought myrrh and dared come to anoint thy feet,
my Christ, my Lord, and my God.
As thou didst not cast her away
when she drew near in her heart,
neither, O Word, disdain me;
but grant me to hold and kiss thy feet,
and with a stream of tears,
as with most precious myrrh,
do thou dare to anoint them.
Wash me with my tears;
cleanse me with them, O Word.
Forgive my offenses,
and grant me pardon.
Thou knowest the multitude of my evils,
thou knowest also my wounds,
and thou seest my bruises;
but also my faith thou knowest,
and thou beholdest my willingness,
and thou hearest my groanings.
Nothing escapes thee, my God, my Creator, my Redeemer,
not even a teardrop, nor a tear's portion.
Amen.
Prayer of St. Symeon the New Theologian
Also known as From Defiled Lips ยท Symeon's Pre-Communion Prayer
About this prayer
Saint Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022) was a Byzantine monk and mystic whose writings on personal religious experience are among the most influential in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. He is one of only three figures in the Eastern Orthodox Church granted the title 'Theologian,' along with the Apostle John and Gregory of Nazianzus, a title reserved for those whose theological writings come from direct mystical experience of God.
This prayer is the most famous of Symeon's compositions and is the standard Pre-Communion Prayer in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is recited by Orthodox Christians as part of the personal preparation for receiving the Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy. The prayer's distinctive feature is its theological frankness about the petitioner's unworthiness, modeled on the penitential Psalms and the patristic tradition of self-examination before approaching the divine mysteries.
The prayer's central image is the Gospel scene of the woman who anointed Christ's feet with precious oil and tears (Luke 7:36-50). Symeon places himself in her position: as Christ did not reject her despite her sinful life, so the prayer asks Christ not to reject the petitioner. The image of tears as 'most precious myrrh' is one of Symeon's characteristic theological moves, transforming the petitioner's repentance into an offering as valuable as the harlot's gift.
The English translation included here is from the standard public-domain English editions of Orthodox prayer books, especially Isabel Florence Hapgood's Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic (Greco-Russian) Church (1906). The prayer is recited daily in Orthodox monasteries and Christian homes across the world.
When it's said
Recited as part of the standard Orthodox Pre-Communion Prayers, the personal devotional preparation that Orthodox Christians offer before receiving the Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy. Typically said either at home before going to church on the day of receiving Communion, or in private prayer immediately before the Liturgy begins. Some Orthodox monastics also include it in their daily prayer rule, especially during fasting seasons.
Notes on the text
Symeon's title 'the New Theologian' was given to him posthumously to distinguish him from two earlier Theologians (the Apostle John and Gregory of Nazianzus). His writings emphasize the possibility and necessity of direct experience of God in this life, a theme that became foundational to the hesychast tradition of Orthodox spirituality that flowered three centuries later under Gregory Palamas. The full text of the prayer in its monastic recitation form is significantly longer than the version included here; this is the form most commonly recited as the standard Pre-Communion Prayer used by Orthodox laypeople.
Common questions
Why is Symeon called 'the New Theologian'?
When is this prayer said?
Why does the prayer use such strong language about the petitioner's sinfulness?
Saint Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022), one of the Pre-Communion Prayers of the Eastern Orthodox liturgical tradition. English translation from Isabel Florence Hapgood, Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic (Greco-Russian) Church (1906). Public domain.
Last reviewed: June 2026 against primary source.